Five Boys Versus Saturday Morning
by Echoing Fantasy
Summary: Deleted scene from HUHHDL. Tsuna contemplates Federico and the Vongola, as well as his place in it. Fluff.


**AN: **Since HUHHDL officially has 50 reviews, I figured I'd do something to celebrate. Here's a deleted scene.

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Five Boys Versus Saturday Morning

They were awake long before the sun was even up, snuggled together on the big bed with the covers kicked to the bottom of the bed or off to the side. For Tsuna, who was the first one to wake up, it took a minute to figure out where he was and what he was doing there. Eventually it hit him that he was in the Vongola's mansion in Italy, more specifically in Federico's spare room, and Massimo was curled around him from the right, arms around Tsuna's side as he slept with the smile on his face, while Federico, the very person he'd been trying to avoid all this time, was facing him, sleeping peacefully despite the fact that he and Tsuna were wrapped around each other like vines. Any other time Tsuna supposed he would have been mortified, and tried to squirm out. But right now it was nice – everything was just perfect.

The air was just the right temperature; with the balcony windows open like they were he could smell the freshly-cut grass outside, as well as the entire garden they'd planted beyond that. It was the right kind of quiet, lulling Tsuna back to sleep even as he tried to stay awake, knowing somehow that they would have to get up soon. The warmth from Federico and Massimo's bodies wasn't really helping any, especially combined with the knowledge and feeling of just how much older and stronger they were compared to him. It made him feel like he was protected from anything outside their little five man cocoon, and he cherished the feeling, knowing just how rare it was. Thinking like that, it seemed inevitable that he would recall the earlier discussion between him and Federico – what it meant to be a Boss, the price paid for such a high honor, and the sacrifices made to protect his Family as well as his friends. A hard life to be sure.

Which was why it had confused Tsuna so much that night that Federico would even consider offering him the same protection that he afforded Xanxus and his brothers despite the fact that Tsuna wasn't actually an heir of the Vongola. Yes, Nono had often said he considered Iemitsu like a brother, and he wanted Tsuna to call him grandfather, but that didn't mean he was _actually _related to the Blood of the Vongola. No matter what the strange fire on his head or the equally strange gold color of his eyes said. Of course by this point in the argument, Federico was always chuckling, shaking a finger and driving Tsuna off of his next point, which was…, he could never remember. _Brother, _Federico had said that night, and many nights after, _not in body perhaps, but in soul definitely. As much as Xanxus. Perhaps even more so. __**Our **__brother. _

And it hadn't just been him. It seemed like once Federico had spoken, Massimo and Enrico took it right in stride, dragging him along for everything. Sometimes he'd catch a quizzical look in his direction or a slight frown when he did something strange (not wanting to shoot a gun, being terrified of what his father did) but they still accepted him. _Brother, _they'd said.

Thinking on it now, he didn't try to compare his differences to their similarities as he always did, but rather their methods to his. He preferred peace over violence – Xanxus had enough violence for all involved – but wouldn't hesitate to get up in someone's face if they hurt someone he loved. Federico was much the same. Family came first, but once the gloves were off they stayed off until the blood was gone. Enrico was a little more of a speaker than a doer, but he still got his point across, and was still capable of fighting his battles. Massimo seemed like the joker, but he used this form to help them avoid sticky situations, and ease the tension away. Just like that first day with Iemitsu, when Tsuna had been all but ready to tear his throat out with his teeth. Massimo had just bobbed along, patted him on the shoulder and offered a few words of comfort, and the tension had vanished. He couldn't fight like his brothers could, but he was a negotiator and a fighter of a different hue within the same color, and that's all that mattered.

_Vongola. _Tsuna had never stopped to think what the word meant. What the crest they carried meant. Yes it was mafia, but it meant something else. Protector. Fighter. Brother. Comrade. Lover. Guardian. A lot of words to describe one simple status. It was the honor given to the cream of the crop, the top of the brass, the Boss of all Bosses, one that had been taken seriously for hundreds of years, ever since Giotto Primo had walked these halls. All this time, Federico had been trying to get that through to him – that he wasn't trying to buy Tsuna out or make him any less afraid of his father, but he was trying to make him see what the Boss – and consequently the Vongola – actually was. It was just depressing that it had taken him lying in a bed with four other men to finally figure it out.

Sighing, Tsuna relaxed into the bed, eyes drawn to Federico's still form. The man was crafty, but in a gentle sort of way. One that was less craft and more careful movement and understanding. He had known Tsuna before he had even walked in the door, but he hadn't _understood _Tsuna until he'd met and seen him. It had taken until now for Tsuna in turn to finally understand Federico, which was a great tragedy in and of itself. He hoped he'd be a little quicker on the uptake next time, and not fumble his chances so much.

Federico's eyes slid open suddenly, and Tsuna felt like he'd gotten punched in the gut, face heating up as the older man smiled just a little. How was it he always seemed to know when to catch Tsuna just as he was reaching a conclusion in his thinking?

"Time?" Federico asked, voice barely above a murmur so he wouldn't wake his brothers. Tsuna carefully turned, raising his head a bit. The clock showed 3:10 in bright blue numbers. When he repeated them, Federico groaned. "Morning already, huh?"

"Someone say morning?" It was surprising Tsuna didn't even twitch, despite Massimo speaking into his ear. "Do we have to get up? I'm so comfortable. Tsuna, you're really snuggly." Tsuna couldn't help but smile a bit as Massimo rubbed his face in the younger boy's shoulder, almost purring with how comfortable he was. It reminded Tsuna of a very contented cat.

"Unfortunately," Federico said, eyes gleaming with understanding. Tsuna merely rolled his eyes, and tried not to smile when that got him a warm chuckle and a big hand on his head running through his hair. God that felt good. "We've got a meeting at five, so we need to get up now if we have any hopes of catching the plane on time."

There was a pause before Massimo asked, "Five more minutes?"

It was a serious temptation. Even Tsuna was hard-pressed to say no. Looking at Federico's face, he knew that if he didn't say something, the Boss would roll over and go back to sleep, and then none of them would get there even remotely on time, which would probably earn them a bomb to the face, or something equally nasty. So he spoke up. "As nice as that would be, we can't afford it. And look on the bright side; if we finish up early enough, we can always come back here and continue."

That got him a bright smile from one side and a groan from the other. Untangling himself from his partners in crime, he sat up and rubbed his face while Massimo padded across the room to make use of the bathroom. Federico stood and cracked his back, sighing as he did so. "Could you wake Xanxus up for me, Tsuna? I'll get Enrico."

"Ah, divide and conquer is it? I think I can do it. If he shoots me though, I expect compensation in the form of one of your home-baked creations."

Federico nodded, pretending to be Boss-like and serious as he considered the proposition. "I suppose I could do that."

The two snickered at their own stupidity, and then separated as they went to the other end of the bed to wake up the two sleeping giants. Tsuna didn't know what Federico said to Enrico, but the latter told the former to do something impossible involving his ass, to which Federico cheerfully replied, "That's not anatomically possible, brother."

Tsuna considered his own sleeping giant. Massimo had told him that Xanxus didn't like being shaken or startled awake, which meant that raising his voice was out of the question. He decided to try waking Xanxus the same way he woke everyone else in his life – gently and carefully. "Xanxus-san?" He started murmuring the name like a mantra, being careful to keep his tone down and very soft, not commanding but inquiring. He forgot about the other brothers in the process, right up until Xanxus groaned.

"Time?" He asked. Tsuna dutifully repeated the time and he groaned again. "Too early. Go back to sleep shrimp."

"With all due respect," Tsuna said, still with the same voice, "Federico said we have a meeting today at five. If you want any chance at catching the plane, you have to get up now."

Xanxus actually raised his head to look at him, and saw a fuzzy-haired, pink-cheeked innocent-eyed boy that was actually being nice and not bellowing to wake him up. Xanxus decided to reward both himself and Tsuna in that measure, and instead of replying, grasped Tsuna by the neck and yanked him down, snuggling up next to the boy and refusing to let go. "Sleep," he grumbled, and started to drift off.

Unfortunately, it was short lived. "Brother, what are you doing?"

Xanxus grunted at Enrico, still not opening his eyes. "Holding the chibi hostage and trying to get back to sleep. Why do you ask?"

"Because you have to wake up, not go back to sleep."

"Fuck off; I'm tired and he's soft."

There was a sound like someone crying out in embarrassed indignation while someone else tried to hold back laughter. "I'm not soft!"

"Beg to differ there, little brother. You're very soft. And warm." There was Federico, sounding so utterly amused Xanxus couldn't help but to crack an eye open to see the chibi's reaction. The brat was red in the face and getting redder, lips turning down into that sort-of frown that bordered on a childish pout. The look worked for him, despite his age, and Xanxus suspected it would continue to do so even in his later years.

"You guys are just looking for excuses! Xanxus-san, please let go!"

The gunner sighed, but did as the brat asked. Tsuna bounded off the bed and rushed from the room as if hell itself were on his heels. "I'm going to go get ready. Don't go back to sleep!"

"Yeah yeah," Xanxus muttered, sitting upright and cracking his back. He groaned when Massimo's hands found the tender spots, still sore from yesterday's fight. After only a few moments however, the other man let go.

"C'mon, we can't let Tsuna think we've gone back to sleep. Let's get dressed and head downstairs for breakfast. You'll feel better then."


End file.
